W A T 
ter making its way through thofe parts of the day 
which are not well wrought. After the bottom is fi- 
nifned with clay, there Ihould be a ftratum of coarfe 
gravel laid over it about four or five inches thick, 
which will greatly fecure the clay wall, and render 
the Water clear ; but where the bafons are large, fo 
that the clay walls are long in making, the clay Ihould 
be covered with moift litter to prevent its drying, 
which may be taken off when the whole is finifhed, 
to lay on the gravel ; but if part of the fide walls 
are finifned before this is done, it will be the better, 
becaufe there may be fome Water let into the bafon 
as foon as the gravel is laid, which will prevent the 
clay from cracking •, then the walls round the fide of 
the bafon muft be carried up with the fame care as 
hath been directed for the bottom, obferving alfo to 
cover the clay firft with litter while the work is.carry- 
ing on, and afterward lay it with coarfe gravel ; and 
as the walls are finifhed round, the Water may be let 
in, to fecure the clay from drying and cracking. 
When the whole is finifhed, the upper part of the 
walls muft be laid with turf, which will fecure them 
from being broken, and prevent the fun from pene- 
trating the clay ; but before this is done, there muft 
be a ftratum of fand laid Upon the clay, four or five 
inches thick, and upon this a thin ftratum of good 
earth laid, for the Grafs to take root in. The bed 
of fand will prevent the Grafs from rooting into the 
clay, and this will alfo keep out the froft, which will 
penetrate the clay, where there is not a covering of 
fand to fecure it, and by being frozen and fwelled, 
and afterward drying, the clay is very apt to crack 
in many places. The turf on the fide of the bafon 
Ihould be laid as far down as the Vfater is apt to 
fhrink, that no part of the clay may be wholly ex- 
pofed to the weather, for the reafons before given. 
Where thefe bafons are made, there fhould be no 
trees growing near, for the roots of trees or fihrubs 
will extend themfelves to the clay walls, and by pe- 
netrating them will occafion fiffures, through which 
the Water will find an eafy paffage; and where tall 
trees are growing near bafons or ponds, the fhaking 
of the trees with violent winds is apt to loofen the 
clay walls, and occafion cracks in them, therefore 
thefe cautions are neceffary to be obferved. 
In fome countries, where clay cannot be eafily pro- 
cured, the walls of thefe bafons are frequently made 
of chalk, which is beaten into fine powder, and made 
into a fort of mortar, and with this the walls are 
made, by ramming and working it very hard and 
firm. Thefe bafons hold Water very well where they 
can be well fupplied with it, fo as not to be too 
long dry, for when it fo happens, the fun and wind 
dry the chalk, and caufe it to crack, and thefe cracks 
commonly extend through the thicknefs of the walls, 
‘fo as to let off the Water. 
There are others who build their walls with brick laid 
in terrafs, which is a good method for fuch places 
where the ground is very loofe and l'andy, becaufe 
the walls, when well built, will fupport the loofe 
earth from falling or fettling away from the fides ; 
but where terrafs is uled, the walls fhould not be 
long dry and expofed, for the heat is apt to crack 
the terrafs. 
Some perfons make a cement of powdered tile and 
lime, two thirds of the former to one third of the 
latter, being very careful in the mixing of it not to 
add too much Water, but to labour it well in the 
beating, which is a principal thing to be obferved. 
With this cement they cover the furface of the walls 
of batons, about two inches thick, laying the plaifter 
very fmooth, and being very careful that no fticks, 
draws, or ftones are mixed with it ; this plaiftering is 
commonly performed in dry weather, and as foon as 
it is finifhed, it is rubbed over with oil or bullock’s 
blood, and the Water let into the bafon as foon as 
poffible. This cement has the property of hardening 
underWater, fo as to be equal to ftone, and will con- 
tinue as long- found. 
Whatever the materials are with which the walls are 
W A T 
made, there muft be great care taken, that they are 
built fo ftrong, as that they may refill the weight of 
the Water ; fo that where the ground about the bafon 
is not very folid, the walls ihould be thicker, and 
fupported on the backfide by buttreffes of the fame 
materials, placed at proper diftances ; or if the walls 
are made of clay, there Ihould be planks fupported 
by ftrong timbers placed at proper diftances to fupport 
the clay, otherwile there will be great danger of their 
being broken down, efpecially where the bafons are 
large, fo as that the winds have room to a£t upon the 
furface of the Water, and drive it in large waves 
againll the banks, the fides of which fhould have a 
very eafy Hope. 
The directions here given are only for bafons or refer- 
voirs of Water for ufe, fo muft not be fuppofed for 
large pieces of Water for beauty ; for where the 
ground is of a loofe fandy nature, fo as not to hold 
Water, the expence of claying the bottom and fides 
will be too great, if the V/ater is of a large extent, 
therefore it would be imprudent to attempt it in fuch 
places; but where there is afupply of Water, and the 
ground is well adapted to hold it, there can he no 
greater beauty than that which Water affords to a feat, 
provided it is properly difpofed ; therefore I fhall give 
fome general hints, by which perfons may be directed 
in the forming of large pieces of Water, fo as to ren- 
der them beautiful. 
In thofe places where there is a command of running 
Water, it will be a great additional beauty, becaufe 
the Water will always be much clearer, fo more beau- 
tiful than Hill Water; befides, if it moves with any 
degree of velocity, there may be one or more falls of 
Water contrived, which will ftill add to the beauty. 
In the 'conducting- of this Water, the level of the 
ground muft be carefully taken, for the great fkillin 
the contriving of rivers, or other pieces of Water, 
is in the faving of expence in the digging ; therefore 
where the ground is naturally low, the Water Ihould 
be conducted through thefe low parts, and never en- 
deavour to carry it through higher ground, for in 
fuch places the banks will be fo high, as to Ihut out 
the light of the Water, to perfons who Hand at a little 
diftance from it on either fide, unlefs the Water is 
very broad ; and where it is fo, the eye is thrown to 
a confiderable diftance over the furface of the Water, 
by the fteepnefs of the banks, therefore the dopes 
on the fide of Water Ihould always be made as eafy 
as poffible ; nor Ihould they be made flat, with fharp 
edges on the top (as is too generally practifed ;) for 
thele ftiff regular Hopes are not near fo pleafing, as 
thofe which are made gently convex, for the eye will 
Aide over thefe to the Water, having no ridge to cut 
the fight, and at a fmall diftance there will be no ap- 
pearance of a cut, as will always be feen where the 
upper part of the Hope is finifhed in a lharp angle ; and 
the great fkill is to contrive, that as much of the fur- 
face of the Water may appear to the fight as poffible. 
In moft of the old gardens, where there are pieces of 
Water, there is nothing more common than to fee 
them brought into regular figures, fuch as long ftrait 
canals or bafons, either round or polygonal, fo that 
all the boundaries of the Water are feen at one view ; 
but thefe, however large may be their extent, are 
not near fo pleafing as where the Water is fo conduct- 
ed, as that the termination may be feen as little as 
pofible ; for when the Water is loft from the fight, by 
fome gentle eafy turns, the imagination may be led to 
fuppofe the furface of the Water extended to a confi- 
derable diftance ; fo that fometimes fmall pieces of 
Water are fo artfully contrived, as to make them ap- 
pear very confiderable. 
As in the old ftile of laying out gardens, the Water 
was generally wrought into regular ftrait canals, which 
correfponded with the ftrait walks, hedges, and re- 
gular lines of trees, which were then chiefly ftudied ; 
fo, as the tafte altered from this ftiff method of dif- 
pofing gardens, to that which approached nearer to 
nature in the forming of rivers, or other large pieces 
of Water } thofe who have fucceeded beft have always 
had 
